Homeschool benefits: Coastal Alabama Community College

Coastal Alabama Community College's dual enrollment scholarship pays tuition, fees, and textbook rentals for homeschooled high school students, worth $204 per credit hour at fall 2026 rates, or $612 for a three-credit class. Homeschool students who have finished 9th grade with a 2.5 GPA (2.0 for technical courses) apply directly through the Office of Early College.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Who qualifies

1. Has finished 9th grade

   Your homeschool transcript must show completion of 9th grade, your student's current grade level, and an unweighted GPA.

2. Meets the GPA minimum

   Your student needs at least a 2.5 unweighted GPA for academic courses or 2.0 for technical courses.

3. Places into English or math

   Before taking English or math, your student needs qualifying ACT scores or ACCUPLACER placement results.

4. Sends homeschool paperwork

   Independent homeschool families also sign a parent/guardian agreement. If you use a cover school, tell the Office of Early College its name so staff can confirm what is needed.

What it is worth

Coastal Alabama's fall 2026 calculator charges Alabama residents $133 tuition plus $71 in fees per credit hour, $204 in all.

One credit hour

$204

One class (3 hours)

$612

Two classes (6 hours)

$1,224

Full-time term (12 hours)

$2,448

Maximum term (18 hours)

$3,672

Programs in Coastal Books+ add $27 per credit hour, so ask the Homeschool Advisor whether a course you pick carries that fee and whether the scholarship covers it.

From applying to keeping it

1. Before you apply

   Set up a student email

   Your student applies online with their own personal email address, not a parent's.

2. By Aug. 1, Dec. 1, or May 1

   Apply for the term

   Submit the application and paperwork by the final deadline for fall, spring, or summer, ideally a week early so the college account can be set up.

3. Two to three days later

   Hear from the Homeschool Advisor

   The advisor emails next steps. Your student activates the alabama.edu college email and sends the transcript, test scores, and agreements from that account.

4. Before the first term

   Approval and orientation

   A parent signs the approval form, Early College staff register your student, and new students attend a required orientation.

5. Each term after

   Stay eligible

   Submit registration requests by each term's deadline. A withdrawal or a D or lower means sitting out one fall or spring term.

What it pays for

Covered

• Tuition
• Fees
• Textbook rentals
• Campus, online, and hybrid courses

Not covered

• Audited courses
• Courses outside the agreed dual enrollment list

The college funds the scholarship, and students paying with a PACT college savings plan instead must file the PACT Request Form with the Business Office.

Good to know

• You do not work with a high school counselor

  Homeschool students work directly with the Homeschool Advisor in the Office of Early College instead of a high school counselor.

Who to contact

The Office of Early College and its Homeschool Advisor handle homeschool applications, documents, advising, and registration.

earlycollege@coastalalabama.edu 800-381-3722 Homeschool Dual Enrollment

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Alabama

Alabama lists three routes for home education: church school, private school, or private tutor. The reporting steps depend on the route; a private tutor files with the local superintendent before instruction begins.

Alabama sets these rules:

• Subjects: Church- and private-school routes follow their applicable school requirements. A private tutor must teach public-school branches at least 3 hours daily for 140 days each year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., in English.
• Testing: Alabama does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
• Records: A private tutor keeps a daily instruction and attendance register; church- and private-school record rules depend on the route.
• Teachers: A private tutor must hold a valid Alabama teaching certificate; church- and private-school routes have separate requirements.

Alabama also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.

• The CHOOSE Act pays $2,000 per home-education student, up to $4,000 per family, for approved costs during the school year. The 2026-27 window closed March 31, 2026.
• TheHomeschoolingCompany is an approved vendor for it.

Read the Alabama homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Alabama

Find benefits for your ZIP code